Fastener carrier having driving facilitating structure

ABSTRACT

A fastener carrier includes an upright strip having an upright segment, one or more rings laterally extended outward from the upright segment for supporting fasteners, and an inclined segment extended upward from an upper portion of the upright segment and extended away from the rings. The heads of the fasteners may be easily moved and engaged over the inclined segment on the upright strip when the fasteners are rotated or driven by driving tools. The inclined segment may prevent the heads of the fasteners from being jammed by the upright strip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a fastener carrier, and more particularly to a fastener carrier having a fastener driving facilitating structure.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Various kinds of typical fastener carriers have been developed for supporting nails or fasteners, or the like, and for feeding the nails or the fasteners into or through a nailing or stapling machine. Normally, the fastener carriers comprise a longitudinal and planer belt or strip having a number of holes formed therein for threading with the fasteners or nails, and for allowing the fasteners or nails to be forced and engaged through the fastener carrier and to be engaged into the work pieces. However, the belts or the strips of the fastener carriers comprise a great width that is not good for being operated by the nailing or stapling machines.

[0005]FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the other typical fastener carriers 10 including a vertical or upright strip 11 having an upper end or edge 111, and including one or more, such as two loops or rings 12 laterally extended outward therefrom, and substantially perpendicular to the upright strip 11. A number of fasteners 20 include a threaded portion 21 threaded to the rings 12, and include a head 22 provided on top thereof for engaging with the driving tools and for allowing the fasteners 20 to be driven and moved downward relative to the strip 11 and to be disengaged from the strip 11. However, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper edge 111 of the upright strip 11 may engage with the heads 22 of the fasteners 20 and may stop and affect and interrupt the movement of the heads 22 beyond the strip 11; i.e., the heads 22 may not be swiftly moved beyond or disengaged from the strip 11, and may jam or force onto the strip 11. Relatively, the strip 11 may even be broken or crushed by the heads 22 of the fasteners 20.

[0006] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional fastener carriers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a fastener carrier including a fastener driving facilitating structure for allowing the fasteners to be effectively forced and driven out of the fastener carrier.

[0008] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a fastener carrier comprising an upright strip including an upright segment having an upper portion, and including at least one ring laterally extended outward from the upright segment, and including an inclined segment extended upward from the upper portion of the upright segment and extended away from the at least one ring, and a fastener including a threaded portion engaged to the at least one ring, and including a head provided on top thereof for being driven by driving tool. The inclined segment on the upright strip is provided for facilitating a movement of the head of the fastener over the upright strip.

[0009] The upright strip further includes an upper longitudinal flange offset from the intermediate segment thereof, and the inclined segment on the upright strip is provided and coupled between the upper longitudinal flange and the intermediate segment of the upright strip.

[0010] The upright segment of the upright strip includes a lower portion having an inclined segment extended downward and away from the lower portion of the upright segment and extended away from the at least one ring.

[0011] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view illustrating a typical fastener carrier;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a partial exploded view illustrating a fastener carrier in accordance with the present invention; and

[0015]FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3, illustrating the engagement of the fasteners with the fastener carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0016] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a fastener carrier in accordance with the present invention comprises a vertical or upright strip 30 including a vertical or upright intermediate segment 31, and including an upper and a lower longitudinal flange 312, 311 offset from Pi the intermediate segment 31, and including two curved or inclined coupling segments 314 formed and coupled between the longitudinal or upper and lower flanges 312, 311 and the upper and lower portions of the intermediate segment 31. The upright strip 30 includes one or more, such as two loops or rings 32 laterally extended outward therefrom and extended away from said longitudinal or upper and lower flanges 312, and substantially perpendicular to the intermediate segment 31 of the upright strip 30.

[0017] A number of fasteners 40 include a threaded portion 41 threaded or engaged to the rings 32, and include a head 42 provided on top thereof for engaging with or for coupling to the driving tools and for allowing the fasteners 40 to be driven and moved downward relative to the rings 32 and the strip 30 and to be disengaged from the strip 30. As best shown in FIG. 4, the upper surface or upper end or upper edge 313 of the upper longitudinal flange 312 of the strip 30 is offset or disengaged from the fastener 40 and the rings 32, and the inclined coupling segment 314; is inclined from the upper longitudinal flange 312 toward the fastener 40 or toward the rings 32, such that the heads 42 of the fasteners 40 may be easily moved over the inclined coupling segments 314 provided between the upper longitudinal flange 312 and the fastener 40 or the rings 32 and may be prevented from being jammed by the strip 30.

[0018] It is to be noted that the inclined coupling segments 314 provided between the upper longitudinal flange 312 and the fastener 40 or the rings 32 is more important than the inclined coupling segments 314 provided between the lower longitudinal flange 311 and the fastener 40 or the rings 32, such that the inclined coupling segments 314 is not necessarily be provided, but may be optionally provided between the lower longitudinal flange 311 and the fastener 40 or the rings 32. The upper inclined segment 314 may be extended upwardly and away from the rings 32, and the lower inclined segment 314 may be extended downwardly and away from the rings 32.

[0019] Alternatively, without the upper longitudinal flange 312, the inclined segment 314 is good enough to facilitate the engagement of the heads 42 of the fasteners 40 over the strip 30. The inclined segment 314 is extended inclinedly away from said rings 32 and extended inclinedly from the upper portion of the upright segment 31.

[0020] Accordingly, the fastener carrier in accordance with the present invention includes a fastener driving facilitating structure for allowing the fasteners to be effectively forced and driven out of the fastener carrier, without being interrupted or affected by the fastener carrier.

[0021] Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

I claim:
 1. A fastener carrier comprising: an upright strip including an upright segment having an upper portion, and including at least one ring laterally extended outward from said upright segment, and including an inclined segment extended upward from said upper portion of said upright segment and extended away from said at least one ring, and a fastener including a threaded portion engaged to said at least one ring, and including a head provided on top thereof for being driven by driving tool, said inclined segment on said upright strip being provided for facilitating a movement of said head of said fastener over said upright strip.
 2. The fastener carrier according to claim 1, wherein said upright strip further includes an upper longitudinal flange offset from said intermediate segment thereof, and said inclined segment on said upright strip is provided and coupled between said upper longitudinal flange and said intermediate segment of said upright strip.
 3. The fastener carrier according to claim 1, wherein said upright segment of said upright strip includes a lower portion having an inclined segment extended downward and away from said lower portion of said upright segment and extended away from said at least one ring. 